Adelia's Point of View The silence broke after another hour. Either because Michael was growing bored or because he no longer felt comfortable in it. I didn't know which but at the sound of his hard-timber voice, my insides flipped. As if I had forgotten the sound of it within the last hour. "Where did you grow up?" He asked. A mundane question to most. But not to me. Hell, it only scraped open a scab I had wanted gone for a long while. Breathing out, I twisted my legs to the side. Got a bit more comfortable in my seat. "Everywhere. My parents never believed in staying in one place for too long. Now I think I know why," I replied, keeping my tone light. Our earlier scrap could wait for now, then. We would most certainly hash it out once we were back safely in Lover's Quarrel. "And why is that?" "Because my mom is part of an exceptional bloodline that allows her to heal anyone she touches. She can even knock them out to help make the process go faster. And according to what
Michael's Point of View I had two days to get to the bottom of what had happened the night they took her. Two days and I had to set off on some ludicrous mission for Phaedra. Which wasn't enough time in the slightest. "Throwing someone in the kennels isn't going to solve all of your problems, Siya," Killian growled, following me back down the hall and out of the medical wing. "You heard the man. She went willingly. She took Nessa willingly. What more do you want to know?" Bristling, I ground my jaws together. Took a sharp left and headed for the other side of the compound. "He still didn't do his job. Why do I need incompetent wolves to think they can get away with something like that?" I seethed back. She had left. Granted, I didn't blame her. I would have done the same, regardless if she was my mate or not. Knew that freedom meant everything to wolves. But a pack meant more. And that's exactly what I thought we had become. A pack. Stopping short of entering the barracks, I f
Michael's Point of ViewAdelia fell asleep almost immediately after touching my arm. After we had spoken about our pasts. Or a fraction of them. The smallest fraction that didn't really matter.Only, it did somehow matter. Because the moment I told her about my domineering, perfectionist father, sadness and pain had entered her eyes. Slid across her face.As if she knew all too well how that felt. How that went.There was a bit about Felix, her father, in the folder Ciaran had given me before we set off. He had been involved in her getting kidnapped so I needed to know if he would show up or not. Now?Now I understood more than I had back then. The bastard had hurt her, no doubt. Was harsh on her.Sure, it had been something I was used to. Something that I managed throughout my life. But to envision her in the same situations I had found myself in... It stirred something dark and rageful inside of me. Seeped down to my very core and ripped away at my humanity.Was this what it was
Adelia's Point of ViewSleep danced around me for most of the night. Tugged me into its allure, just to spit me back out. And round and round it went.But this time, it was Siya or Felix plaguing my mind like they normally would. No. This time, a certain blonde-haired and blue-eyed Director stirred me awake the entire night. Shook me from my sleep with a wistful smile and stoic tone.Turning over every word we had spoken to each other, I came up empty-handed as to why he had left so suddenly last night. Why he had looked so utterly terrified of me for a moment.A deer caught in headlights.I had joked, obviously, when I asked it he was asking me out on a first date. The thought of going on one and pretending we were... normal didn't sit well with me. Honestly, I had thought that he might laugh as well. Fall into my couch the same way he had done the night before when he came to my private living room.But no. He had run like a bat out of hell. And I couldn't decide why he had done it
Adelia's Point of ViewOne moment we were staring at each other. The next, we were a flurry of lips, limbs, and teeth. Tangled deliciously in each other's embrace. Skirting whatever furniture went between us and the bed.The one place I wanted him to be.No, needed him to be.Other than between my damned legs. Calloused hands groped my midriff with fever. Pushed up my shirt over my abdomen as we went. Explored my skin so thoroughly that goosebumps broke out over it. Trailed up my body and down my arms.I flexed my hand in his hair. Tugged on it for more of him. A better angle to consume him. I broke the kiss seconds after that. Tilted my head up so that he could get an exposed look at my neck.Where his lips immediately went and trailed hot, wet kisses down. Grazed my collarbone with his teeth. Nipped at the sensitive flesh at the hollow of my neck.Another shiver shot down my spine.Tangling with him felt like playing with fire. Warmed me to the touch but knew that if I got too clos
Adelia's Point of ViewFear, genuine and tangible, crossed his face. Speared it, like a fish on the end of a hook. He backed away from me like he was burnt. Eyes wide. Lips trembling.All the while, cold hard reality kicked into me. Buried me under an avalanche of self-loathing that I couldn't fully comprehend.What was I thinking? Why had I done this? Given in to the high of him, to the mate bond? Why hadn't I restrained myself as I normally would?And then he came, across my chest like I was a whore, whilst calling another woman's name. Slowly, I rose to my feet. Jutted out my chin as I faced the director.This wasn't supposed to change anything. Fucking is a whole different ball game than accepting a mate bond. I knew this. Had toed the line with Siya once before. Yet never went fully over it. Knew that some part of me would-But the moment her name, whoever she was, crossed his lips, my high sank dangerously low and my heart sank with it. Had I thought this the first step to him
Adelia's Point of ViewNessa sat at the breakfast table when I walked in. Her hand was clamped around a cup of steaming coffee. Eyes seemed to stare into the distance at nothing.But she noted my presence instantly. Inhaled sharply when I pulled out the chair beside her. Yet her eyes never left that vacant spot."I thought you had run back to him yesterday," She murmured, a shell of her former lively self. I knew exactly the he she was referring to. Knew that some part of her had most likely hoped I would. Hoped I would come back to get her as well. But she wouldn't make it out alive if Phaedra got her hands on her now. She would rip the girl to shreds for not keeping me contained.Guilt clanged around inside my chest. Hollow. That's how I felt, especially now that I knew where I stood with Michael more than ever. And Siya, the man who had honestly tried, was betrayed by the woman he thought was growing closer to him."Were you sad when they found me in another pack only a few hours
Adelia's Point of ViewHalf an hour later we were walking into the meeting with our heads held high. Or as high as they could go with the two of us giggling all the way in.Everyone looked at us as we came inside. But their eyes instantly flashed towards where Nessa was. Narrowed in on the girl with razor-sharp precision.Ciaran, as always, took the head of the table in the boardroom. Dwarfed Alvara on his left, who sat with a scowl deep on her brow. To Ciaran's right sat Ozias, his Beta, and one of Alvara's other mates. No signs of Dargan and Maverick, Ciaran's Omega and Delta, respectively. And Alvara's other two mates. No doubt those two were off doing some or other errand for their Alpha. Ran amuck in the underworld with their dealings. Teagan also sat at the table, Bellamy her mate, and the Alpha of Desert Sun beside her. Along with her other two mates, Ulrich and Harland. Delta and Beta respectively of Desert Sun.It was only the men who scowled when Nessa came in behind me.